Did you know that in Greco-Roman mythology, Pluto is not only the god of death, but also of wealth? Originally, the Romans combined a bunch of Greek gods (Orcus, Dis Pater, and Hades) into the modern Pluto we see today. He was the god of wealth because of the many things stored underground, such as food for the winter, precious stones and minerals, and of course, the ashes and bodies of loved ones. It's interesting - Pluto was actually not seen as a malevolent figure (mostly, but that doesn’t mean you wanted to invoke him or draw his attention), but more as a neutral one at the time. Death is unbiased, after all.
In astrology, Pluto rules over the sign of Scorpio, and the natural eighth house. The eighth house representing the area of our life that involves inheritance, death, taboo, sex, occultism, taxes (death always comes to collect), and the “darker” side of life, such as the seedier or underground. (See how I view the eighth house here.) Scorpio is the zodiac sign most closely associated with loss, transformation, and inner strength and power. It represents our ability to turn the bad into good.
Which is why I think the association with Scorpio is so particularly interesting. The god of wealth ruling the sign of loss? Well, it certainly makes sense from a mythic standpoint. But not all we lose is a loss, but in fact, a gain. Pluto and Scorpio require us to flip our perspective often, so that we may see beyond the black and white and into the gray. Which is really hard when you're grieving. That's why Pluto can also push us to extremes. I suppose it also goes to serve that all the valuable things in life are things we can lose, even if we take them for granted.
Pluto, the eighth house, and the sign of Scorpio represent so much more than what we would rather not acknowledge. They also represent what is deeply, inherently precious to us. Death sets us on a path of transformation, but also reminds us of how valuable life is. And perhaps more importantly - how priceless our relationships are.
In Rachel Smythe’s modern retelling of Hades and Persephone in Lore Olympus, she dives into topics of rape, harassment, abuse, trauma, sex, and the messiness of relationships. And though there are certain twists on the retelling of the story (Hades is not villainous, as he is depicted in the myth), it’s a wonderful comic on interpersonal relationships. The story is more of a coming of age, as both Hades and Persephone step into their personal power -another Plutonian theme.
When we think of power, we often think of control. And very often, Pluto covers the very things we feel as if we have no control over. Or, to be more precise, the things that have control over us. This could be money, change, loss, or more. Pluto holds our deepest fears.
Yet, Pluto remains neutral. That's because while these things leave quite permanent marks on us sometimes, they can also be quite transient. Perhaps that is why it is so hard to grasp, and when we do, even harder to let go of. The push and pull that Pluto brings can give us cosmic whiplash.
It almost feels like a power imbalance. But a power imbalance does not mean to control everything (that in itself would be tyrannical), but to acknowledge that we simply cannot control all that is to come, and all that there is. Pluto teaches us the fine line between love, control, and letting go. And though Saturn rules time, Pluto teaches us something important - what to do with it.
